Parliament Question: POSHAN 2.0

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 2108 ANSWERED ON 31.07.2026 POSHAN 2.0

2108. SHRI MANISH JAISWAL:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has assessed the prevalence of malnutrition, stunting, wasting and anaemia among children, adolescent girls and pregnant women in Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the details of beneficiaries covered under POSHAN 2.0 in the said district during the last three years;

(c) whether the Government has identified high-burden blocks in the said district for focused interventions, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the details of the corrective measures being taken to improve nutritional outcomes in the said district? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a) to (d): Under Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, the ‘Poshan Tracker’ digital application has been rolled out as an ICT based governance tool for monitoring and tracking of all beneficiaries on various indicators. The Poshan Tracker application data on Nutrition indicators among children and the details of beneficiaries of all the States and UTs including Hazaribagh

district of Jharkhand is available at the given link of public dashboard:

https://www.poshantracker.in/statistics.

As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-2021) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the prevalence of anemia among adolescent girls and pregnant women in Hazaribagh

district in Jharkhand is as follows: -S.NO Indicators Prevalence 1 Anemia in children age (6-59 months) 62.10 2 Anemia in all women age (15-19 yrs) 54.10 3 Anemia in all women age (15-49 yrs) 56.10 4 Anemia in pregnant women age (15-49 yrs) 54.40 5 Women whose BMI is below normal (BMI less than 18.5) 25.30 Further, as information received from the State of Jharkhand, two blocks namely Katkamdag and Chauparan have been identified as high-burden blocks in Hazaribagh district under Aspirational Block Programme. To identify and treat malnutrition, SAAMAR-CMAM program for community-based management of SAM children without medical complications has been done at Anganwadi centres. Additionally, eggs are being provided to children aged 3-6 years in the State of Jharkhand through Anganwadi Centres.

Under the Mission Poshan 2.0, significant targeted interventions to improve the nutritional status

of children in the country including Hazaribagh are as follows: • Supplementary Nutrition is provided to Children (6 months to 6 years), Pregnant Women, Lactating Mothers and Adolescent Girls in accordance with the nutrition norms contained in Schedule-II of the National Food Security Act, 2013. Additional Nutrition is also

provided to Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children in form of Take-Home Ration

(THR). • One of the major activities undertaken is Community Mobilization and Awareness Advocacy in the form of Jan Andolans (Poshan Maah and Poshan Pakhwada celebrated in the months of September and March-April respectively) to educate people on nutritional aspects as adoption of good nutrition habit requires sustained efforts for behavioural change.

• Ministry of Women & Child Development and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have jointly released the Protocol for Management of Malnutrition in Children to prevent and treat severely acute malnutrition in children and for reducing associated morbidity and mortality.

• To encourage diet-diversity and consumption of wholesome local produce, Poshan Vatikas have been developed at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs). • Mission Poshan 2.0 empowers the frontline functionaries by providing them with smartphones. All Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) are provided with internet connectivity charges. Additionally, there is a provision of a set of 4 Growth Monitoring Devices

(GMDs) at each Anganwadi Centre (AWC) for the regular growth monitoring of registered beneficiaries.The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare implements Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, child, Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy in a life cycle approach under National Health Mission (NHM). This includes interventions to address nutrition concerns among adolescent girls, pregnant women, lactating mothers and children under five years, across the country. Details are placed below:

• Anemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) addresses the high prevalence of anemia through the 7X7X7 strategy covering seven beneficiary age groups and seven interventions through robust institutional mechanisms. • Nutrition Rehabilitation centers (NRCs) to provide in-patient medical and nutritional care to children under 5 years suffering from Moderate and Severe Acute Malnourishment with medical complications.

• Mothers' Absolute Affection (MAA) Programme to improve breastfeeding coverage. • Lactation Management Centres to ensure availability of safe, pasteurized Donor Human Milk for feeding sick, preterm and low birth weight babies admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Special Newborn Care Units.

• Under National Deworming Day (NDD) albendazole tablets are administered to reduce the Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) infestation. • Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are observed for provision of maternal and child health services and creating awareness on maternal and childcare including nutrition.

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